Riders line up at the starting line before the start of a stage in Aspen at the 2012 USA Pro Challenge. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)

Aspen will host the 2013 USA Pro Challenge and the time trial will move from Denver back to Vail, the race announced Wednesday morning.

The press conference, held at Aspen's Little Nell hotel, announced all eight cities that will host stages in the race which begins Aug. 19 in Aspen and ends in Denver again Aug. 25.

Loveland and Fort Collins, which will serve as the site of one of three criterium circuits, join the race for the first time.

The 2013 race will skip Boulder, which hosted the penultimate leg this year, and Longmont, which put in its first bid for a stage this fall.

Boulder leaders ultimately did not apply for a 2013 stage after organizers informed the city that it would not be selected again for the 2013 race.

The schedule will be:

• Stage 1, Aug. 19: Aspen/Snowmass circuit.

• Stage 2, Aug. 20: Aspen/Snowmass to Breckenridge.

• Stage 3, Aug. 21: Breckenridge to Steamboat Springs.

• Stage 4, Aug. 22: Steamboat Springs to Beaver Creek.

• Stage 5, Aug. 23: Vail individual time trial.

• Stage 6, Aug. 24: Loveland-Fort Collins circuit.

• Stage 7, Aug. 25: Denver circuit.

"I think we have a route that will again be challenging for the athletes but maybe the most fan friendly route of the first three years," race CEO Shawn Hunter said from Aspen. "We're going to have a couple circuits so there's going to be at least three cities that will be able to see circuit finishes so the fans can see the athletes multiple times in their hometowns."

Hunter said the routes will be finalized over the next two months but the circuit races will allow fans to see riders five or six times in Aspen and Denver.

"The feedback that we've gotten from the athletes and the fans is they like to see the athletes multiple times in comparison to the sprint finish," Hunter said. "It's exciting when fans in a local community get to see the peloton come through five or six times."

The time trial returns to Vail where the climb up Vail Pass had been a tradition dating back to the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic in the 1970s. For this year's race, it moved to the final day in Denver where it produced a dramatic finish.

Boulder native Taylor Phinney won the time trial and Christian Vande Velde of Boulder-based Team Garmin-Sharp came from behind to win the overall title.

"We want to always change it up," Hunter said. "The beauty of this sport is you can change the route every year. We moved the time trial back to Friday. It's one of the iconic stages of all time in America dating back to the Zinger and Coors Classic. We had a big response from fans who want to see that back so we're going to do it."

Aspen has hosted dramatic finishes in the first two Pro Challenges and last year's start to Breckenridge. It will likely draw massive crowds compared to this year's start in Durango. Aspen also has the money to back the expensive venture.

"Aspen's the perfect host," Hunter said. "It's a world-class resort. It's known around the world and they have the infrastructure here to host what will probably be a week-long celebration leading up to the competition.

"It's a great place to bring athletes and a great place to bring fans."

Loveland and Fort Collins join the race for the first time. They replace Boulder as northern Colorado spots.

Colorado Springs lost its bid to host a stage for the third straight year and for the third time, the race passed over Grand Junction.

"We're going to Grand Junction in future years," Hunter said. "The way the route is laid out this year, it didn't fit into our geographic plans. We like the leadership in Grand Jnction. We want to go there. We want to explore as much of the state as possible.

MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story

MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story

It didn't take long for Denver music observers to notice Plume Varia. Husband and wife Shon and Cherie Cobbs formed the band only two years ago, but after about a year they started finding themselves on best-of lists and playing the scene's top venues. Full Story